1. Field of the Technology
The present application relates generally to communications which involve mobile communication devices operating in wireless communication networks, and more particularly to communication techniques involving the pushing of messages to such mobile communication devices when the devices are unavailable in the wireless communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile communication devices, such as mobile stations, have the ability to send and receive various data to and from other communication devices (e.g. telephones, servers, personal computers (PCs), etc.) through wireless communication networks. For example, mobile stations may be adapted to wirelessly receive copies of e-mail messages which are conventionally received and stored in email accounts on e-mail servers in communication networks. To accomplish this, many different host servers are utilized across the country and beyond to retrieve copies of e-mail messages from the many different e-mail servers for their intermediate delivery to a primary relay network. The primary relay network is communicatively coupled to a plurality of wireless communication networks and used to deliver the copied e-mail messages to mobile stations through any one of these networks.
If mobile communication devices become unavailable, however, the relay network may be overburdened with the storage and management requirements of all of the e-mail messages. This becomes increasingly problematic when the number of host servers and mobile devices which are served by the relay network increase substantially over time.
Accordingly, there is a resulting need for improved methods and apparatus for communicating messages to mobile communication devices.